I don't know the works involved, but Rebecca Miller will conduct the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Ms Miller has been very active in the studios recently: discs with Beach, Hopekirk, Hadley and now Bristow, bless 'er.
David
That's excellent news, David. I have always found it surprising that Bristow has been so neglected in the US. Not just because he was amongst the first of American symphonists, but also because he was such an accomplished one. It'll be interesting to see which pieces are recorded. I have enjoyed Järvi's recording of the 3rd Symphony, and Krueger's old LP renditions of the 2nd and 4th Symphonies for many years, but it would be good to hear more modern interpretations of these or, even better, have Miller record something completely new.
I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...
they haven't all been recorded yet, have they?... that might be interesting and good...
The list of his works at IMSLP (http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_George_Frederick_Bristow) (while like most such things perpetually in progress pending more data, etc. ... but a good list so far as I know?...) is rather interesting in my opinion.
It's great news that New World will bring this recording out, and yet very maddening and sad that NEW WORLD records would produce a new recording of music by an American composer using a British orchestra! Nothing against British orchestras mind you, it's just that musicians unions and their ridiculous labor rules have made recording in the US so expensive that they had to use a foreign orchestra. Sad that American musicians won't even try to support their own heritage. Still, a welcome release.
Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 12 August 2014, 09:35
I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...
Well, not to be controversial, and tastes differ, but Paine's symphonies are certainly better organized than Bristow's. Bristow tends to lay out his long tunes and then just alternate 'em. Very loud climaxes rear up and subside for the pure joy, I suspect, of hearing the New York Phil of Bristow's day at full cry. There is a maddening amount of repetition in 1,2, and 3 (less so 4) edited out by Jarvi, but not by Krueger. Nothing really in the way of development. Yet I love them for their vigor, their good tunes and the lusty scoring (oh, those trombones!) Maybe we could have some overtures, where the structural issues wouldn't matter so much...
David
That's a good summary of the difference between Bristow and Paine. A combination of the two - Bristow's melodic facility and Paine's organisational capacity - would have made a formidable symphonist.
Still much prefer Bristow to Paine, though...
This is the salient paragraph (suitably edited) about Rebecca Miller's recording activities:
<<Forthcoming recordings include discs with...the BBC Concert Orchestra (Henry Hadley/Dutton), the Royal Northern Sinfonia (...Bristow/New World Records), and with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Beach/Hopekirk/Hyperion Records/Romantic Piano Concerto series).>>
http://www.rebeccamiller.net/artist.php?view=bio (http://www.rebeccamiller.net/artist.php?view=bio)
Quote
I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...
Interesting. Once upon a time there seemed a vast gulf in profundity between Bristow and Paine. The passage of time clearly foreshortens all such perspectives, as it has the once seemingly endless feud between the Brahms and Wagner camps.
I wonder when the Beach/Hopekirk from Hyperion will happen, does anybody have any idea? I suppose it is Beach's Concerto which I love (are there any other works lying hidden by her for pf and orch?), but seems it's been recorded enough times already, and wonderful to finally have Hopekirk to look forward to. Just wish they would have considered some of the other neglected composers. I have heard Dora Bright's pf cto, which, although played by amateur forces (pianist good, orchestra not) was extremely pleasing to me. How about a wholesale cleaning of London attics to find Bluebell Klean's!!!!
As of Feb 21, the conductor's website describes this as an October, 2015 release.
David
It seems to me that the 50's Grove suggested there might have been a lost or unfinished second concerto by Mrs. Beach but I've never seen any other reference to it.
Jerry
I'm pleased to note that Rebecca Miller's Bristow disc will feature the Symphony No.2 "Jullien", the Rip Van Winkle Overture (from Bristow's opera) and the overture to The Winter's Tale. I am fortunate to have a set of ms parts to Bristow's Winter's Tale overture, which was written for an important revival of the play at the old Winter Garden Theatre, in NYC. Iirc, the revival was staged in 1866, during the management of Edwin Booth, who had just returned to the stage after a hiatus following his brother J W Booth's assassination of President Lincoln. The production was a magnificent one, stressing spectacle, and featured Bristow's overture and incidental music by the English-born Edward Woolf. My set of parts includes Woolf's pieces, a very rare survivor from the 19th century American theatre where little care was taken with music and fires were common (the Winter Garden Theatre was itself destroyed by fire the following year.)
Note: the notes to this recording describe the overture as having been originally composed in 1856 for a production of Shakespeare's play at burton's theatre. It was also used in a revival of the production the following year.
I'm looking forward to this!
David
The New World newsletter has just come, announcing the release of the CD:
http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=94012 (http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=94012)
Amazon (US) is showing a release date of November 13. Can't wait!
Great news indeed. It's at the top of my current wants list.
Yep, mine too. Let's hope that it's the first of several CDs.
In reply to vicharris, Hyperion are not now recording the Hopekirk piano concerto. Amy Beech's , will be coupled with Dorothy Howel's piano concerto and Cecile Chaminade's konzertstuck. This was recorded some weeks ago.
That's a pity. The Howell piano concerto is good, but I would have preferred the Hopekirk. I hope they will record it at a later date, perhaps with Dora Bright's PC and Variations, which would be a good coupling.
Listened to the full disc of the Bristow this morning. Absolutely fantastic rendition of the symphony! Gutsy playing, brisk speeds, great timbral balance. Highly recommended.
Here are the details (plus audio samples and download facility) at New World Records' website:
http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=94012 (http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=94012)
(http://www.newworldrecords.org/uploads/file2g2qi.jpg.full.jpg)
Liner notes here:
http://www.newworldrecords.org/uploads/fileCDr0L.pdf (http://www.newworldrecords.org/uploads/fileCDr0L.pdf)
Thanks, Alan. Unfortunately the download facility isn't active yet, so there'll be more drumming of fingers in this household!
It is now, Mark
QuoteIt is now, Mark
Well, at least from where I sit (USA), clicking their link - Download from iTunes! - on the New World Records listing produces this:
"Digital Download Unavailable
Sorry, but that album is not currently available on the iTunes Music Store."
Grrrr.
It's not working yet.
Apologies for prematurely raising expectations.
So.....then the Chandos recording under Jarvi (Op. 26) is actually the third symphony? I'm guessing it's a typo on the CD's webpage (http://www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%209169) -- the liner notes don't mention a number at all outside of being "the third in the series" in the text....a bit odd.
I really really like the samples of this new disc though, definetly goes onto the wishlist.
This is Eric's listing from a previous thread:
#Op.10 in E-flat major (1846?-1848).
#Op.24 Jullien Sinfonia in D minor (1854).
#Op.26 in F-sharp minor (1858).
#Op.50 Arcadian (related to the Pioneer cantata Op.49. 1872, premiered 1874).
#Op.62 Niagara (1893, premiered 1898).
One of my main sources for that was http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_George_Frederick_Bristow (http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_George_Frederick_Bristow), the result, mostly, of a lot of (web) research on Cypressdome's part, if I recall. (Actually the list has more 1846?/1848 for Op.10, which doesn't imply worked-on-between 1846 and 1848, but more a matter of alternate dates, if I remember the terminology... and yes, for would-be editors and conductors and &c, links to locations of source materials, often mss, are provided where known.)
My copy arrived from the USA today - thank you, Amazon! And it's an absolutely first-class CD - so well performed and conducted by the Royal Northern Sinfonia under Rebecca Miller in the attractive acoustic of The Sage, Gateshead up in the north-east of England.
A first audition confirms what I've long thought (ducks!!) - that Bristow is a much more interesting composer than his later contemporary, John Knowles Paine (whose music I invariably find outstays its welcome). Bristow seems to me the better tunesmith and has a greater feel for drama. Anyway, the CD is a must-buy - and a marvellous early Xmas present to myself!
I got my copy about ten days ago, from New World Records direct (I try to order from the record companies themselves if at all possible), and I absolutely agree that this is a marvellous recording of really attractive and interesting music that I will return to again and again.
That pesky download link still isn't working, so yesterday I listened to Karl Krueger's old LP of the Jullien Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. What a fine, individual Germanic symphony it is, and the idiom is quite current for 1853. I had forgotten quite how interesting a composer Bristow was. I'm really looking forward to hearing this new performance.
I have to echo the others, this is a fantastic disc full of great tunes and other mid-romantic goodness.
Today I discovered the 2nd symphony by Bristow - a real treasure for me (movements 1,3, and a fantastic Finale! ). I must explore more of this for me so far unknown American composer ! Even here in this forum he doesn't seem to be covered adequately...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sFnd2RMUf4
Gerd